PEUGEOT 306 Test drive 5 doors 1993 - 1997 hatchback
The most combat lion cub
It is pleasant that in countries with ideal roads, tightly placed along them with gas stations and solidly equipped automobiles that fall at every step, not only greenhouse drivers grow, for which only the result is important: they say, good, but also people for whom driving is driving Machines are primarily a pleasure. It is such amateurs that addressed the smallest models in the range: Volkswagen Golf GTI (215 km/h), Nissan almera GTI (210 km/h), Mazda MX-3 (202 km/h). Similar top versions are found in the small class, and in the middle and large. In Japan, micro-broken cars with an engine volume of 600-800 cm cubic meter, five valves on a cylinder and two turbochargers in the order of things. European designers prefer to exercise with combat versions of larger cars, such as Opel Corsa GSI. But the most interesting works and the biggest struggle for the buyer begin with a GOLF class, whose share in Europe accounts for 31% of sales.
On July 1, 1996, the most powerful competitor in the class appeared on the market: Peugeot 306 S 16. By the way, Peugeot had a car that spoiled the mood of competitors - 306 XSI in the range. In fact, the Peugeot 306 S 16 is the road version of the PEUGEOT 306 Maxi rally, successfully performing in Formula -2. They produce S 16 only in a 3-door version, which externally almost does not differ from the usual 306th-even slightly modified turns indicators will still be migrated to other gamma machines in 1997. But under the hood S 16-2-liter engine with an unusual system intake/release and 16 valves, 6-speed checkpoint, 5th generation ABS.
Peugeot conducted the presentation of the new modification in French Alps. Morning. Mountain coolness. A short press conference in front of a test drive. The engineer talked a little about the route, just a little about technical innovations and concluded: we tried to make a car, which, we hope you will like it. And all as if it was a tourist trip by bus.
In the courtyard of the hotel is a parade of brand new Peugeot 306 S 16. Bright colors, including bronze (rather red) metallic, all machines have wide low -profile rubber (195/55 R15), reduced clearance. Under the right rear flashlight, the wool of 306 S 16. Road cards, legend, magnetic card for travel on paid roads are carefully put in the cabin of each car. According to legend, you will have to move very intensively: there is little time, part of the route is laid along the mountain road, part on the auto track. 60 journalists are divided into couples, driver and navigator, and set off.
We got a cherry-red car with a luxurious salon and in the richest configuration: electric drives of mirrors and glass windows, seats electroregulations (except for tilt of the back, which is more convenient to regulate it is manually), air conditioning, a built-in anti-theft system, a non-removable radio, etc. The driver's seat was installed slightly above the passenger - a rally echo. Seats of very complex architecture, but without pronounced lateral support, like the 405th. Combined upholstery: sidewalls made of genuine leather, and the middle of the pillow and back is sheathed with material of the same color (in our case with dark gray), similar to wool. But this is Alcantara - the suede of the highest quality. You sit on such coating as glued. Both the steering wheel and the head of the gearbox lever are covered with natural skin. The engine works with a very interesting sound: it doesn’t seem to be silent, but it doesn’t growl. And I would like to growl. Has the right to.
The first segment of the path: almost preventing overtaking, a narrow mountain road with closed turns, perfect marking and not very intense movement. Almost immediately, a worthy opponent came across: Golf II GTI, at the wheel of which a very temperamental Frenchman was sitting. Having quickly passed the bunch of turns, he finally noticed that his cherry-red peugeot hangs on his tail. Throwing in the next turn under the truck, at the exit he again saw the same Peugeot from his rear bumper. Ah well! I'll show you! - Golf rushed even more rapidly, sometimes very risky. The driver of Volkswagen knew the way perfectly, but purely technically Peugeot surpassed him. So we defeated a few more turns of varying degrees of complexity, and then Golf surrendered. Having hooked the curb, he hesitated uncertainly, slowed down, and then stopped. We also slowed down, and Golf blinked the turn signal and touched softly.
We showed that we were ready to follow him, but Golf turned very slowly onto the side path and, as it seemed to us, with dignity retired towards the gas station. S 16 spoke perfectly at the aggressive driving manner. The road kept the road so that even in the most difficult turns, a feeling of confidence did not leave us, and he never went to Yuz. The rest of the movement reacted calmly to our speed exercises. Alpine drivers are generally very calm people. After a few kilometers, we saw on the opposite side of the road a stalled Mercedes with a trailer-country in tow. The woman behind his steering wheel, looking at one point, did not take any action. The drivers of other cars were calmly waiting.
The line of cars was lined up at 30. At the end, its drivers serenely read newspapers. More calmly driving the rest of the mountain site, we went down to the valley and drove to the motorway. What a course stability! And accuracy. It was stated that the maximum speed is 220 km/h, and the speedometer showed exactly 220 km/h. The steering with an amplifier with a variable characteristic (like Peugeot 406) does not lose information content in any mode. At high speed in the short Peugeot 306 there is no feeling that you are driving a small car. You go quickly in a very comfortable car. That's all.
The final segment of the path again carried us to the mountains. Here we met with a red -haired 306 s 16 from our group. As it turned out later, at the wheel there was a Polish colleague, a very strong ralist in the past. We were happy to sit on his tail and rushed to the finish line. The redhead dynamically entered the turns, very beautifully lay down on the serpentine - then we let him go and watched it from above. Watch at 306 s 16 was no less interesting than to carry on it. At some points, it was especially clearly visible how the suspension was working. It is the same as the cool prepared version of the XSI: the front is pseudomacpherson with a transverse lever and a reptile stability stabilizer, the rear is the famous Elastokinematics from Peugeot, which has no equal cars of this class. A little about the brakes. They are modified to correspond to the dynamic characteristics of the car.
Compared to the XSI version, the diameter of the ventilated front brake discs is increased - from 266 mm to 282 mm, and the thickness with 20.4 mm increased to 22 mm. The rear disc brakes received an enlarged piston of the brake cylinder, and in size remained the same as the XSI. The four-channel Bosch of the 5th generation is included in standard equipment. A few pleasant hours driving Peugeot 306 S 16 showed that the company's designers turned out to be an excellent car, as they say, assembled around the motor. In addition, his potential, much superior to the needs of everyday drive, will not become an obstacle to the greenhouse driver - the car will forgive him inevitable mistakes. And an expert who loves the active style of driving, Peugeot 306 S 16 will deliver pleasure.
When in the evening we exchanged impressions, dialogue broke out of the general conversation: I’m going fast, music at full volume, beauty. You also listened to music?! And I enjoyed the sound of the motor.
Text: Sergey Aslanyan
A source: Motor magazine [No. 4/1996]
